


Grounded!

by GunnerPalace



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Multi, Polyamory, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, This Started As A Sex Comedy and Look Where We Are Now, grounded!verse, ot3: neapolitan ice cream
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-10 16:57:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13505826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GunnerPalace/pseuds/GunnerPalace
Summary: Ichigo, a newly minted lawyer, is fascinated with a jet-haired flight attendant he weirdly keeps running into. Okay, well, that was true the first half-a-dozen times. Then he pulled some favors and found out who she was. What? They just wind up flying together a lot and stay in the same layover cities pretty often. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a coincidence. He’s never even talked to her really, except to occasionally ask for a drink. She probably doesn’t even know he exists. Or maybe Rukia does, but thinks much the same.But for every awkward problem in the world, there’s an equally awkward solution! Enter Captain Yoruichi, who’s never met someone she wanted to bed that didn’t wind up there the next morning. When all three of them wind up stuck in an airport after a diversion because of the worst blizzard in a century, Yoruichi happily plies her wiles on Rukia, only to soon discover she’s stepped into a thorny situation. Feeling more than a little guilty, because she really likes Rukia, she decides to adopt a new pet project: she’s going to get the two of them together, hell or high water. There’s just one problem: nothing ever works out that cleanly or easily.





	1. So Let's Raise the Bar

Airports exist as liminal spaces, the constant transience of their occupants leaving echoes in the fabric of their reality. This held especially true in the quiet gloom of a mid-February twilight at Calgary International Airport, where a blizzard howled down from the north and cancelled all flights in or out. The floor to ceiling windows which normally offered a view of the mountains and the international gates instead showed only featureless gray.

Yoruichi Shihōin had sent her crew on, done what she could from the plane, and clocked out after they’d received their final forecast for the evening. They’d been diverted into Calgary on their way back from Frankfurt because of the inclement weather between them and Murakumo.

The low pressure system they were confronting was nearly stationary, and projections estimated several feet of snow by morning, with the wind chill taking temperatures well below zero. The front was expected to scour the area for several days, and it was only going to disperse when a Chinook wind swept in from the west to knock it out.

She, her crew, their passengers, and many others besides were all grounded, and would be for the foreseeable future.

They were fortunate in so far as that the airport had recently finished a massive upgrade program. The terminal had been radically expanded to accommodate international flights and more besides—which was the entire reason they were even there—and it had also gained several in-terminal hotels and other amenities. All of that was good news for them, because based on the reports, even traveling as far as the city proper would be impossible. They'd be there for the duration, and everyone so trapped had been billeted rooms in the hotels—she'd gotten quite the suite.

Yoruichi sighed and turned away from the gray-out. It wasn't long until sundown. She knew that being stuck on the ground for so long was going to make her tetchy, as she'd long ago developed a distaste for being tethered to any given spot for too long a stretch of time.

She mused over joining the rest of her crew for the evening, but knew they'd inevitably be heading out to drink somewhere in the terminal complex. Instead, she decided to act on a thought she'd been harboring for quite a while already. She was going to seek out one crewmember in particular—one she knew wouldn’t join the others in their giddy celebration of paid time off.

Rukia Kuchiki would have found somewhere to be alone.

Yoruichi had captained flights for Kuchiki International—so big it didn't have to advertise it was an airline, because everyone already knew—for three years, ever since she'd left the Navy. Despite that, other than her co-pilot, Izuru Kira, and one of the stewardesses, Rangiku Matsumoto, her current crew was relatively new to her. They'd only been together for six flights.

She'd become acquainted with them as one usually did, but Rukia had always stuck out to her—not least because Yoruichi knew who she was. Rukia tried to keep quiet about the fact she was a Kuchiki, claiming she simply happened to share the same last name, but Yoruichi knew better.

She hadn't hung out with Byakuya Kuchiki during her last trip home over a decade ago—he'd already set off on his agenda of world conquest—and hadn't really talked to anyone much other than Kūkaku Shiba while she was there, but she'd kept in constant contact with the same before then, and ever since as well.

She'd also gotten letters from home annoyingly often, always from her little brother, Yūshirō Shihōin.

Between the two, Yoruichi had learned that Byakuya had adopted a sister under mysterious circumstances—one who rather looked like him, and who Kaien Shiba had given his life to save from beneath the broken ice of a frozen lake. It didn't take a genius to piece together that his sister was Rukia.

The fact that she was Byakuya's little sister made her intriguing all by itself. Yoruichi and Byakuya had always had an interesting and entertaining relationship—although he was two years her senior, she'd loved teasing him since their first meeting, long ago.

What sort of interactions might she have with his sister...?

But her interest was also nothing so hypothetical. Put simply, Rukia was stunning in a refined way, and her beauty and elegance were nothing like skin-deep. Yoruichi hadn't had much opportunity to talk with Rukia one-on-one, but she'd seen her in groups and knew how the rest of the crew treated her. Rukia was by turns tough and compassionate, level-headed and whimsical, and always smart, even if she tended to be quiet about it. She had an attitude, but not an attitude problem.

To Yoruichi, Rukia seemed both pretty and lively. She imagined Rukia was fun in _other_ ways too, and she had never been one to walk away from fun if she could help it. Since they had at least a few days to kill, she saw no harm in trying to make a pitch, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

She made her way out of the concourse and toward the terminal proper.

Rukia would probably be somewhere high up, away from the bustle of the nearest bars and lounges—she seemed to like heights. Yoruichi began considering places to check as she made her way toward the hotel they'd been booked into. Stopping by her suite would give her a chance to drop off her luggage and change into something more appropriate and comfortable, and Rukia was likely within the building's observation lounge too.

* * *

Ichigo Kurosaki was in a different hotel, sitting windowside at its observation lounge. His chin was cupped in one hand, and he idly swirled a cocktail glass around with the other. He considered another building across the way, its glass dim and gray through the snowfall. He knew Rukia was there because he'd started his evening there too, only to have spotted her sitting alone at the bar when he'd walked in. He'd seen her far too many times to ever mistake her for anyone else—from any angle—and he'd immediately left.

With a sigh, he shut his eyes and downed the rest of his Blood and Sand. _You're pathetic_ , he thought.

Ichigo had encountered Rukia the very first time he'd boarded a flight for his law firm. He'd instantly been captured by her eyes, but the extent of their interactions had been asking her for a Coke. He'd noted her name tag, and 'Rukia' had been on the tip of his tongue ever since.

They'd continued bumping into one another after that. He didn't run into her on every flight, but it happened often enough that he noticed. She never seemed to remember him, but he wasn't so sure that was truly the case, given his hair. At any rate, they'd never had a chance to really talk—and he really wanted to talk to her for some reason.

His firm, Prism, wasn't unfamiliar to Kuchiki International—which was why all their flights were chartered through them—so he knew some people who knew some people. He'd pulled a few strings and used a few details to find out some things about her, like the fact her full name was Rukia Kuchiki. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she was related to the CEO. Her routes usually brought her back to Murakumo, which was both Kuchiki International's hub city and where he lived too, so it wasn't surprising they ran into each other so frequently.

It wasn't that Ichigo hadn't tried putting her out of mind, it was that he couldn't. He hadn't really wanted to cyberstalk her or something, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He'd poked around a little more and found her Facebook and Instagram rather easily. She was a year older than him. She had a strange love of rabbits, but otherwise seemed pretty normal and down-to-earth. She looked great in winter wear, and... well, everything really. She was single.

And there he was, stuck in an international airport with her for god alone knew how long, and yet he couldn't even approach her at a bar. This was the perfect opportunity. What was it all for if he didn't have the nerve?

He considered the building across the way again for a long time, then sighed once more and called a waiter over for another cocktail.

* * *

Rukia rested an elbow on the bar and cradled her chin with her lofted hand, her attention on the cheery blue liquid swirling about in the nearly-empty glass she using the other to play with. It'd been her second cocktail and she felt pleasantly warm and fuzzy.

Although conditions outside had deteriorated with nightfall and the windows were routinely being whipped with gusts of snow, there was no way of really noticing it beyond looking outside.

Most of the observation lounge functioned as a restaurant, and the room was warmly lit, with interesting mixtures of light and dark woods and predominantly green fabrics adorning it. The bar she was seated at was some distance from the windows, and so she was well ensconced within the melodies of smooth jazz, idle chatter, and the clinking of glass and silverware upon fine china, neither seeing nor hearing the squall outside.

Once it'd become clear they weren't going anywhere, she'd gone with most of the rest of the crew to check their accommodations. Only the captain had stayed behind to follow up further on their situation. Mercifully, aircrew had their own customs checkpoint, and they'd all gotten through with their carry-on luggage in short order.

Rukia herself had gotten her bags into her room, briskly changed into something more discreet than a stewardess uniform, checked to make sure she didn't look too frazzled from the flight, and then promptly escaped to the observation lounge bar before Rangiku could try and drag her somewhere more... casual. The woman would always just claim she didn't like to stand on ceremony, but the fact of the matter was she enjoyed slumming it when it came to establishments. Rukia often hungered for what she imagined normalcy was like, but she had her limits.

She'd probably overdressed if anything; the temperature was a little on the warm side, and she'd draped her dark brown jacket onto the bar stool to her left instead of keeping it on. With rum humming through her, the white blouse and mint knee-length skirt she had on were more than enough to keep her toasty.

Rukia's current dilemma was that she wasn't sure if she wanted a third drink or not. Part of her wanted to stop at two, and another part of her wanted to push on to four so she could just sleep deep into the next day. Choosing between them was vexing!

A familiar voice interrupted her deliberations. "Hey. I take it nobody's sitting here?"

She blinked and dropped her arm onto the bar, using it to turn her upper body to the right, only to stop and stare for a second.

Yoruichi had a hand on the bar stool to Rukia's right, leaning in a little and offering a friendly smile. She wore a kind of varsity bomber jacket in charcoal and platinum, with cheery orange-colored ribbed trim at the cuffs, high collar, and hem. The insignia was that same shade of orange, and Rukia couldn't immediately place it—not that it was that where her focus laid anyway. Yoruichi's jacket was open, and beneath it was a sleeveless, black, ribbed turtleneck that fed down snugly into tight, semi-glossy leather pants. Her hair was done up in a more playful way than normal—her ponytail was somewhat different—and she had on more makeup, especially around her eyes.

Rukia blinked again several times as she took in the whole ensemble, her eyes naturally drawn to the turtleneck, and especially toward its missing sleeves. Yoruichi's jacket was open just enough that Rukia could clearly see that she was rather muscular in addition to being curvy. _The captain is..._ that _fit!?_

She quickly forced her focus up to Yoruichi's face and put on a well-rehearsed smile. "Captain! It's good to see you!" As the words left her mouth, she remembered to let go of her cocktail glass, finding her grasp had strangely tightened about it.

Yoruichi's own polite smile took on a slight edge of dismay, although it was tempered by the obvious success of her outfit. "We're off-duty, Rukia, you don't have to call me that... May I sit?" She'd long since eschewed both the West Coast style of honorifics and the military style of titles and surnames, and generally addressed almost everyone she knew or worked with by the East Coast style of just their first name. It was as true of the rest of the crew as it was for Rukia.

"O—Of course!" Rukia affirmed, gesturing for her to do so. Still, she was immediately perplexed. What was the captain doing here? Rangiku had always said Yoruichi didn't have a stomach for drinking...

Yoruichi sat down with polished grace before shrugging her own jacket off, doing much as Rukia had and setting it down on the stool to her right given there wasn't much competition for seating. The next nearest person at the bar was four seats down the way.

While finishing off the last of her drink, Rukia surreptitiously stole a glance at Yoruichi's arms. _Wow, she really is that buff..._ The woman's arms were what most people would call guns!

"So, what are you having?" Yoruichi inquired, her smile back on form. She'd noticed Rukia's earlier errant focus with relish, but the latest look had genuinely escaped her notice.

"Uh..." Rukia set the empty cocktail glass down and pushed it away. "That was my second Blue Hawaii." She instantly made a decision that she wouldn't be having any more to drink. She didn't want to come across as... being like Rangiku, really.

A gentle chuckle escaped Yoruichi. "Wow, you work fast!"

Rukia's laughter was slightly nervous.

Right then, the bartender came over, already having noted Yoruichi's arrival and Rukia's empty glass. "Another, miss?"

"No, thank you! Could I have a glass of water please? No ice." Rukia replied. She immediately regretted the omission—maybe it'd have helped her cool off better...

"Sure thing. And for you, miss?"

Yoruichi held up a credit card. "Just a glass of milk for me, and clear her tab, please." She didn't intend it as a bribe—it was far too paltry for that—but rather, it seemed like the least she could do if she was going to intrude upon Rukia's night.

"S—Shihōin- _san_!" Rukia immediately protested, meeting Yoruichi's eyes. Her thoughts on the curious choice of drink had immediately been overridden by the insistence on paying for her.

"Relax! It's been a long day and I make more than you do," Yoruichi chided, as much for the substance of the objection as for the use of her last name. She offered her card up to the bartender.

He nodded at her and took it, going to get their drinks. It wasn't his business who was paying as long as someone did.

Yoruichi surveyed the room for a moment before stretching. This wasn't exactly the most private venue, but that might be for the best: being in plain view in public usually didn't make people the most relaxed, but it did tend to provide them with a sense of comfort and security. It was easier to meet as equals without one party feeling cornered or disadvantaged. Even if she intended to make a pass at Rukia, it was important to her that Rukia felt respected and safe afterwards, whatever her decision was. They were still going to be working together, after all.

Rukia deliberately kept her gaze elsewhere, not really sure what to say for a time, trying to think her way through this strange situation. "Um, thank you," she eventually said.

A grin tugged at the corners of Yoruichi's mouth. "C'mon, it's just a couple of drinks!"

Rukia was about to say something when the bartender returned with their glasses, her card, and Yoruichi's bill.

The other woman signed the receipt and slid it away, taking up the glass of milk as though to toast Rukia. "Well, here's to the blizzard, for extending our turnaround time!" Even if she didn't like being stuck on the ground, their planned schedule had been rather grueling.

An uncertain smile crossed Rukia's lips and she closed her eyes for a second, but still returned the toast. "To the blizzard, for letting us get to know one another better." Truth be told, she knew quite a lot about Yoruichi, but almost the entirety of that knowledge took the form of facts and hearsay.

They both took long sips of their chosen drinks before setting them down.

Rukia busied herself with putting her credit card away.

After following her example, Yoruichi asked, "You're probably wondering why I'm here?"

Rukia's eyes met hers before she nodded.

"Well, to be honest, it's not for the milk. I came here to find you," she continued, glancing away to play with the glass. The bartender had at least had the decency to get her whole milk, and this was all pleasant enough, so things wouldn't be a total loss even if they didn't go the way she wanted.

The puzzlement Rukia felt immediately showed on her face. "Why?"

Yoruichi looked her square on again and once more flashed that self-assured smile. "You know who I really am, right?”

After a moment of thought, Rukia slowly nodded again. It was hard not to.

Yoruichi's surname—Shihōin—was a giveaway to anyone who knew anything all by itself. The 'Five Great Noble Families' of the West Coast—Fujita, Hasegawa, Kuchiki, Shiba, and Shihōin—were famous throughout the United States and beyond, symbolizing the ultimate in both the ultra-rich and old money. (Some called them the 'Four Great Noble Families' as the Shiba had, in recent times, receded from the public eye following a series of high-profile accidents and mysterious disappearances—but Rukia would never accept that. Not after...) They were the closest thing the nation had to the remnants of Japanese or European aristocracy, even though they were 'merely' gentry.

But there were a lot of members of these families; simply having the name didn't guarantee that the person in question was important. Yoruichi was different, and she was infamous within the circles that knew about such things. Standing within the families was often measured by involvement with the family's businesses and holdings. The structure of these enterprises was similar to that of the now defunct mainland Japanese _zaibatsu_ , or the extant Korean _chaebol_.

While the _zaibatsu_ had been partially restructured into _keiretsu_ following the Second World War, these American counterparts had always skillfully navigated anti-trust legislation. Their power was principally concentrated in holding companies, which in turn controlled banking, industrial, and service subsidiaries. These holding companies were the largest and wealthiest in the nation—the grandest competitor the more Anglophone parts of the country could muster was Berkshire Hathaway, and it was minuscule in comparison.

Yoruichi had been the heiress apparent to the directorship of the Shihōin's holding company, meaning she had at one time been the next candidate for richest woman in the world.

And she had walked away from it.

As if to add insult to injury, she had promptly joined the U.S. Navy.

In military aviation circles, she was famous for a completely different reason related to the last point: she'd been the first female combat pilot in the service, and for the nation as a whole. On top of that, she'd been the first American female ace, and the only ace in the Gulf War at that, achieving double the kills of any other pilot with six shootdowns.

Then, some years later, she'd gotten bored and left them too when her contract had expired. She'd been immediately picked up again by Kuchiki International as a publicity stunt on the basis of her military record and was—highly ironically—effectively the commercial face of the company as a whole.

Rukia knew more than most about that. Byakuya seldom spoke to her about family business—their positions were as far apart as heaven and earth—but she remembered that day very clearly. Despite his controlling interest, he'd had to bow to pressure from the shareholders on that decision, and it was the only time she'd ever seen him even hint at losing his temper. She'd learned, in various ways, that the two of them had a history, but that was the one time she'd ever seen first-hand evidence of it.

In summary, Yoruichi was... ridiculous. She was doing a job she was astoundingly overqualified for, apparently for no reasons other than that she enjoyed it and enjoyed sticking her fingers in the eyes of anyone who'd tell her what to do.

Deep down, as she reflected on this, Rukia felt a twinge of something. _To be able to choose one's own fate in such a way..._ She deliberately didn't dwell on whether it was awe, envy, or admiration, and turned her attention back to the moment.

Yoruichi's smile had mellowed into something comforting. "Good. I know who you really are too."

Rukia blinked, and for several seconds wasn't sure what to say. "What... do you mean?"

A gentle laugh escaped Yoruichi and she brought an elbow onto the bar, cupping her own chin and leaning forward with a teasing grin. "Do you think I don't know you're Byakuya- _bo_ 's sister?"

Immediately, Rukia's mouth dropped a little. Her first impulse was to deny it as she always did, but as she looked into those amused citrine eyes, she knew it was pointless. She closed her mouth and swallowed instead as she felt her heart thump, like it was trying to leap up her throat. _What... And that form of address..._ She found her nerve within that diminutive. "Isn't _Nii-sama_ older than you?"

Yoruichi raised her eyebrows a little and inclined her head slightly. "Isn't it very forward to ask a woman about her age?"

Rukia's cheeks went pink. "That's—I'm not—!" She stopped mid-word and widened her eyes as Yoruichi's other hand came up to ever so delicately touch one of them.

The other woman only maintained contact for a second, then closed her eyes and smiled genuinely. "You're cute when you're flustered."

Another prominent heartbeat echoed through Rukia, and it took her a moment to pull her head back. "Yoruichi- _san_ , what're you..."

"You're sublime." Yoruichi's expression became serious and honest as her gaze was once more on Rukia's eyes, looking deep into them from beneath hooded lids. Her tone was hushed and sultry. "I've seen you dance about like a sprite, always trying to convince people that you're made of sharp edges and hard surfaces, always trying to conceal your gentleness. I've heard your tongue lash out like a stream of flame and seen your eyes smolder like coals, hiding the softer light inside. You're pretty. You're smart. You're funny. You're caring. You're alluring. I want to _know_ you—in every sense of the word. I want to show you a good time, Rukia Kuchiki. Right now there's nothing I'd like more than to take you back to my suite and have fun with you."

Rukia's eyes went as wide as they could and she flushed up to the tips of her ears over the course of the monologue. When Yoruichi had finished she stared, mute and dumbfounded. It was long seconds before she was even able to muster a reply. “I... I’m straight...” Or. At least... Well. She was _pretty_ sure. She’d never really thought much about it...

Her thoughts were suddenly sidelined by a memory of long red hair. She hadn't really thought about sex much since then either—not that she'd thought about it much before then. There'd been nothing wrong about her time with Renji Abarai, brief though it was, but there hadn't been anything electrifying about it either. As to the sex itself, she neither regretted it, nor really cared about it in retrospect. It'd been something that had happened until it hadn't. They'd drifted apart, and she'd gotten back to work trying not to disappoint Byakuya.

Rukia had never really put much thought into why it might have been such a mediocre experience. She'd always just kind of taken it for granted that it was overrated. But out of nowhere...

Yoruichi once again smiled languidly, that certainty broadcast from her every feature. “So is _soba_ until it gets wet!”

Rukia turned a bright red. "Yoruichi- _san_ —"

"Please, don't be so formal. I'm not doing this as your captain, or as some kind of powerplay. I'm doing it as a woman. Just... call me Yoruichi." She didn't want to be misunderstood—this wasn't about their jobs and she genuinely wasn't trying to take advantage of her position.

Rukia's eyes searched Yoruichi's before she abruptly looked away. Why was her heart beating so fast? _What if..._ Her mind whirled with a flood of thoughts, and it suddenly felt like everything was happening slowly in comparison to their frantic race. She forced herself to seize on the motions of one, to grab a thread and let it pull her along as the tapestry unraveled.

She was attracted to men, yes. She'd gravitated toward Kaien, even if she'd never done anything about it—not that she'd had any idea what to do about it. But it had been a sort of fuzzy feeling? It was hard to describe. Kaien had never really _excited_ her, not in the way that she heard other women talk about men. She'd enjoyed his presence immensely, but beyond that...

And it wasn't like Renji had sent her head over heels either. They had just sort of fallen in together, and she'd enjoyed his companionship, such as it was.

It could have been that what she'd originally assumed was true, and that partnership and sex were simply grossly overhyped. It also could have been that she and Renji simply hadn't been a great fit, and that it'd be different with someone else. But she didn't immediately feel like she'd ever met someone with whom she would be a perfect match.

Being confronted with this sudden advance by Yoruichi, she was abruptly forced to face another possibility. What if she'd never been looking in the right place?

Yoruichi leaned in closer and allowed her voice to become more sober. "You can say 'No.' You can always say 'No’—at any time." A moment passed and she found one of Rukia's hands under the bar, lightly brushing her fingertips over the back of it. It seemed exceedingly dainty and delicate. "But... if you want, I think I'll have you saying 'Yes,' as many times as you please."

The redness on Rukia’s cheeks redoubled and her eyes widened again at the contact. She drew her hand away—but only just—as her eyes snapped back to Yoruichi’s. This reaction she was having... what if this was, for the first time really...

While steadily maintaining eye contact, Yoruichi delicately touched her fingertips to Rukia's, and then withdrew her hand. She held Rukia's gaze for another few seconds, and then turned away to face the bar. Finally, she picked up her glass of milk, and slowly sipped it down. It was out of her hands at this point; Rukia would have to make the decision for herself, and continuing to lavish attention on her would likely just make her feel awkward and embarrassed.

Rukia's eyes roved over Yoruichi. Her entire body felt warm—hot, actually—and her heart was pounding in her ears so loudly that she could scarcely think. One thought did make it through though: _What kind of woman could say and do things like that and then just turn away to casually sip milk!?_ Was she shameless or just that confident?! A flare of irritation shot through Rukia, only to fade into something else. She was suddenly aware of how tense she was, her legs clamped together and her fingers dug into her skirt and the leather of the stool.

Forcing herself to relax, Rukia was nonetheless confronted with that same feeling from earlier, when she'd been recalling what she knew of Yoruichi. It was much stronger now, and this time she allowed herself to examine it.

Awe, envy, or admiration... it was all of them. She was somewhere between jealous and impressed, shocked and intrigued. The brazen boldness of this woman! It was just like how she treated everything else in her life! But the matter at hand was whether Rukia wanted any part of that. Her head told her to turn the offer down flatly, but her heart told her something else. Why not live a little? Even if they didn't do... that...

Even though she tried to tiptoe around the thought, it popped into her head fully formed nonetheless: what it'd be like to touch another woman—to touch Yoruichi. To be touched by her. To lay in bed with her, intertwined. To do this and that... She stared at nothing as the ideas flashed through her mind, and then sat with a vacant look upon her face as she tried to figure out how she felt about it.

After what seemed an age, Rukia elegantly slid off the bar stool, brushing out her skirt and pulling on her jacket.

A corner of Yoruichi's mouth twitched and she glanced down, but continued to slowly drink her milk. _Damn... guess I pushed too hard..._

She blinked when she heard Rukia quietly clear her throat, and glanced sideways, finding her still standing there expectantly.

"If we could stop by my room to get some of my luggage?" Rukia asked, her tone rather proper.

The truth was, she didn't know what she thought about that idea. But she didn't hate it, and maybe... Maybe this feeling in her chest was worth taking a gamble on.

Only an instant passed before Yoruichi smiled, gulping down the rest of the glass and sliding it forward on the bar. The milk seemed to erase the pit she'd felt forming in her stomach. She pushed the sensation out of mind and briskly stood to pull on her own jacket. "Whatever you'd like!"

Rukia gave a small but lukewarm smile in return to hide her nerves, and started to walk toward the elevator lobby.

Yoruichi grinned to herself and followed right behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> History followed a somewhat different course in this setting than it did in our world. In the closing years of the Sengoku period (before 1587), Toyotomi Hideyoshi, rather than adopting Oda Nobunaga's dream of conquering China, instead directed Japanese efforts into exploration, coastal raiding, and piracy. Soon, Japanese forces were making expeditions against Formosa, and later the Philippines, and harrying the Spanish Manila galleons that made their way to Acapulco. In the process of doing so, they discovered Hawaii, among other islands. This general eastward push, in combination with expeditions further north into the Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea, lead to eventual campaigns into North America. Although claimed by Spain, these regions were unexplored, and quickly occupied by the Japanese. Interactions with the natives were somewhat mixed, but ultimately fruitful, as the useful locations for ports were initially used as bases for mounting naval raids against Mexico.
> 
> All this changed with the discovery of gold and silver. Immigration swelled, cities boomed, fortunes were made, and ultimately these colonies would unite and break away. Facing a hostile colonial power, and coming into contact with English colonies on the East Coast facing a similar threat, common cause was soon found, and eventually, defensive agreements were inked. The great wealth of the West Coast spurred cosmopolitanism and efforts at creating overland transcontinental links. This trade, flow of migration, and shared outlook eventually lead to confederation. What was called the United States of America wound up encompassing what we would know as the U.S. and Canada, along with a few other areas, although its interior makeup, structure, and history turned out rather differently than the country of the same name in our world. Still, most of the rest of history happened roughly as it did historically, albeit with some notable differences. (For example: the USSR would persist into the early 2000s instead of dissolving in 1991; and the Gulf War occurred almost two decades later, with the result being the collapse of Saddam Hussein's government through popular revolt.)
> 
> One of the largest settlements on the American West Coast is Murakumo (叢雲, "Cloudbank"), occupying what we know as the Seattle metropolitan area. It's much larger than Seattle, rivaling cities like our Tokyo or Seoul in scale. All of our protagonists live there. For the record, San Diego is Heisui (平水, "Calm Water"), Los Angeles is Aozora (青空, "Blue Sky"), San Francisco-Oakland is Miyako [都, "Capital"], Portland is Fūsawa (豊川, "Rich River"), and Vancouver is Shiroyama (白山, "White Mountain"). The relationship between Murakumo and Shiroyama is like that of Tokyo and Yokohama, or Osaka and Kobe.
> 
> This Calgary International Airport isn't much like the real one, and has a layout more like Amsterdam Airport Schiphol or Hong Kong International Airport (albeit with an integrated terminal). It's likely been upgraded into a hub by a rival airline to Kuchiki International. (Cities immediately east of the Rocky Mountains, like Calgary, Denver, and El Paso, are also notably larger than their present-day equivalents due to functioning as trade conduits.)
> 
> Descendants of Japanese from the West Coast have their names in Western format. Japanese will have their names in Eastern format.
> 
> The ages of most characters mentioned so far are as follows:  
> • Yoruichi Shihōin - 32 years old (January 1, 1985)  
> • Ichigo Kurosaki - 24 years old (July 15, 1992)  
> • Rukia Kuchiki - 26 years old (January 14, 1991)  
> • Byakuya Kuchiki - 34 years old (January 31, 1983)  
> • Kūkaku Shiba - 31 years old (October 1, 1985)  
> • Rangiku Matsumoto - 30 years old, (September 29, 1986)  
> • Izuru Kira - 26 years old, (March 27, 1991)
> 
> I have elected to create my own versions of the two unnamed Great Noble Houses with the Fujita and Hasegawa. I disregard everything concerning the Tsunayoshi from _Can't Fear Your Own World_.
> 
> Transliterated foreign words are going to be italicized, as is common practice in English.
> 
> Italics will also sometimes be used for emphasis of a single word, but are usually used for thoughts.
> 
> Particular words considered in dialogue, quotes in dialogue, and dialogue that is being recalled will all be in single rather than the normal double quotes to indicate they're not being spoken aloud in the present moment.


	2. Knew You Wanted A Reaction

Yoruichi and Rukia didn't say much on their way to the latter's room, together, yet also alone with their own thoughts.

They were there for scarcely more than a minute, as Rukia saw no need to take her stewardess uniform with her—she could always come back if she needed to. She left it on the bed. Instead, she just closed and grabbed her travel suitcase, and pulled her purse from the backpack she used as a carry-on, leaving the backpack itself.

Yoruichi didn't move aside from the doorway, instead smiling and extending a hand toward the luggage. "Let me take that?"

Rukia blinked, bemused. "It's not a big deal..."

"Exactly. So let me handle it? It's the least I can do."

Rukia almost said something, but turned over the handle to the bag instead. It kind of figured that a hotshot pilot would maintain an air of chivalry about her, and there was no point in fighting that if it was genuine. She let Yoruichi lead the way out of the room and moved up alongside her after making sure the door was locked.

They continued on in silence back to the elevator. 

It was only once the doors had closed that Rukia's giddiness finally got the better of her. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth but couldn't stop from giggling. This whole thing was absurd and ridiculous, but that—and the sort of weird transgressiveness of even thinking of trying this—was kind of refreshing. Liberating, even. But it was the kind of liberating feeling one got when looking down a cliffside. Yes, one could jump! And what then?

Yoruichi blinked and looked sideways to her, a smile curving her lips slightly. It was a captivating sound. "What?"

Rukia's giggle became something more of a chuckle as she glanced toward Yoruichi. For almost all her life, she'd had to hide her true feelings. Yoruichi seemed forthright and honest, but... Rukia didn't even know how to convey everything she was thinking and feeling to begin with. What she did know was that the best ways to divert attention were to deflect, redirect, or counterattack. Soon she withdrew her hand, showing off a coy smile. "So, do you do this sort of thing often?"

"Eh?"

"Working your charms on unsuspecting women in bars," Rukia lightly teased. She didn't really know much about Yoruichi's sexuality, but it seemed there were only a few possibilities; plus she'd been far too calm and confident to be inexperienced.

For a split-second, Yoruichi was actually taken aback. Normally, if someone had questioned her in that way unbidden, she would have told them to go fuck themselves—or just thrown a punch at their jaw, depending on the circumstances. But considering how she'd already propositioned Rukia, didn't she have some kind of obligation to explain herself? She could hardly say that it was too personal a question after saying she wanted to take Rukia to bed...

Her gaze slid the other way and she adjusted how she was standing, moving the travel bag a little on its wheels. "Gender's never been an issue... if I'm interested in somebody, I'm interested in them," she quietly stated.

"I see," Rukia hummed, keeping her tone neutral and looking at the doors. She wasn't one to judge to begin with—and she'd gotten in this elevator with Yoruichi anyway, after all.

"I'm clean, if that's what you're worried about," Yoruichi added, her mind turning. That seemed important to note, given what she'd just said and the nature of Rukia's initial question. She wasn't going to just immediately launch into the details of her sex life, but... she took precautions when she was with new partners, and got checked regularly, and she was proud of that.

Rukia widened her eyes a little and returned her focus to Yoruichi. She'd figured Yoruichi was experienced, but to just volunteer an implication like that...

Yoruichi's focus was elsewhere, but her stance was nonchalant.

After a few seconds, Rukia lightly said "I'd never have suspected otherwise." A woman with a background like Yoruichi's would surely be smart about such things, especially if she was... adventurous.

Yoruichi turned and looked at Rukia directly.

Rukia held her gaze and soon smiled as she felt butterflies flutter in her stomach again.

Without missing a beat, Yoruichi mirrored the expression. It seemed her instincts were right—Rukia wasn't so shy after all. She was about to say something when the elevator decelerated and its doors slid open. Instead, she gestured forward. "After you."

Rukia smirked slightly at the consistency of Yoruichi's chivalrous behavior, but stepped out first just the same.

Yoruichi followed after her with some chagrin, instantly realizing the other woman had no idea where to go. She cleared her throat and turned, starting to head down the hallway. "Sorry, this way!"

She frowned a little as she walked. Why was she so off her game? She was normally never caught off-guard by little things like these. She began to trace it back to the bar. True, she was going to be stuck here, and she'd been interested in Rukia for a while by that point—and she probably only had a single chance to make it happen—but... she'd done it! What was the issue? She searched the hallway in front of her as though for answers.

As they went, Rukia noticed that the spacing between the hotel room doors was increasing. Weren't they just below the top floor where the observation lounge was too? Her own room was much lower down in the building. "It seems like you have rather nice accommodations."

Yoruichi glanced her way with a grin. "I got the Presidential Suite!"

Rukia's brows lifted in surprise, though she quickly recovered. "Well, you _are_ the face of Kuchiki International," she admitted, with a lilting, lyrical hint to her voice.

"Damn right," Yoruichi replied, leading Rukia to a door at the end of the hallway. She fished around in a jacket pocket as they approached, and smoothly swiped her keycard as they arrived, letting Rukia in first.

Rukia briskly entered so Yoruichi could do the same, but promptly slowed, taking in the sight of the room. She realized the foyer actually had a _genkan_ -style entryway, in the more traditional style of the West Coast and Japan, and leaned down to undo her ankle boots.

Yoruichi set Rukia's luggage onto the carpet before slipping off her own slouch boots.

Soon, Rukia moved past her and entered into the suite proper as she evaluated it.

The foyer led to a larger room, which was divided by space and lighting into a lounge, dining area, and living area. The opposite wall was taken up by a pair of floor-to-ceiling windows that apparently lead to a balcony, although the blinds had been drawn given the weather. Between the windows stood a stone fireplace that was already going. Opposite the fireplace was a kitchen, complete with a bar. There were doors leading off to other rooms—she wasn't sure what led where, but she imagined one was a powder room, another an office or a bedroom, and inevitably another led to the master bedroom.

The suite was outfitted much like the observation lounge and the rest of the hotel, and seemed bright, modern, and warm. The most notable difference was that there was more of an emphasis on darker wood, and the dominant color was red instead of green. It wasn't excessively fancy or opulent, but it struck a solid balance between stately and cozy. Her attention quickly fell onto the fireplace, and she went over to inspect it.

Yoruichi watched Rukia with understated interest, crossing her arms. It was harder to direct her attention elsewhere now that they were somewhere private. It was like something about Rukia just kind of glowed and lit the room in softer hues than normal. As she stood there she shifted a little, her thighs pressing together. Her leather pants felt abnormally constrictive, and the materials of her clothing left her with no illusions about the fact that she was excited. Rukia was so refined, yet also... so beguiling. _Keep it together and stay patient_ , she reminded herself.

As she did so, her thoughts alighted upon a possibility. What if it wasn't her that was off? What if it was Rukia? She wasn't the best at reading people, but she wasn't the worst either. As she thought back on Rukia's initial reactions, her flirting seemed like a kind of strange turn in comparison. It almost felt like... like a cover, or a defense mechanism.

Scarcely more than a minute had passed since they'd gotten their shoes off when Rukia stood beside the fireplace, turning to face Yoruichi seriously. Since she had gone this far, she felt she should say something, at the very least. "I've never... been... with a woman before...

Yoruichi gave a knowing smile tempered with growing realization. "I gathered as much." It wasn't like Rukia had made any secret of the fact!

"Um..." Rukia wasn't immediately sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. Just bluntly stating something like 'And I'm not sure I _want_ to be with one, either' wouldn't capture the nuance of what she was feeling. She... just wanted to take things as they came and see how she felt about them as they happened...?

Seeing Rukia trail off, Yoruichi uncrossed her arms and took hold of Rukia's luggage, pulling it along as she walked over. She stopped in front of Rukia at a conversational distance, and after studying her for a second, Yoruichi clasped one of her shoulders and closed her own eyes. She didn't have the full picture yet, but it was becoming clear that agreeing to come along had been a much bigger deal for Rukia than it might have initially appeared. "You've bathed with other women before, right?"

Rukia looked from Yoruichi's hand to her face. "Yes," she affirmed. There were far fewer hot springs in the U.S. than in Japan, and accordingly far fewer _onsen_ , but she had been to some in both countries, along with some of the more prestigious _sentō_ in America. Between those experiences and her time in locker rooms back in high school and university, she was no stranger to bathing with or around other women, nor was she ashamed of doing so.

Yoruichi nodded and made eye contact. "Then let's just start with that. It was a long flight, and I don't know about you, but I haven't showered since this morning." She was actually quite sure that Rukia hadn't either, but there was no reason to bring it up—that wasn't the point she was trying to make.

After looking between Yoruichi's eyes for a second, Rukia's expression lightened and she gave an agreeable nod. This was exactly the kind of thing she'd been hoping for, but hadn't known how to voice. She just needed some time to figure out how she felt about this.

Yoruichi let go and jerked her head to one side, starting to head deeper into the suite with Rukia's luggage and a little grin on her face. "Come on! Just wait until you see the bathroom!"

Rukia followed with a little smile, taking in more of the suite as they headed, of course, for the master bedroom.

The true layout of this particular Presidential Suite wasn't as crazy as some were; it didn't have multiple floors, and only had a second bedroom off the other way from where they were going, in addition to a multimedia room, office, and a powder room.

The double doors that actually lead to the master bedroom didn't deposit one directly into it, but rather into a hallway. To the left was the ensuite master bathroom, and to the right was the master bedroom proper. The typical walk-in closet had, rather cleverly, been integrated into this hallway, mostly on the side leading to the bathroom.

Yoruichi drew Rukia's bag to a halt beside her own under the hangars. The only thing hanging up was her uniform—she hadn't taken the time to fully unpack before trying to find Rukia, and had just gotten out the things she'd needed at the time.

This hardly escaped Rukia's notice. She peered at the bag for a second in evaluation, then her gaze slid to Yoruichi as her expression became sly. "Oh, you were in quite a rush, hmm?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly at the second instance of teasing, but she quickly composed herself before looking over a shoulder with a smirk. "And you weren't?" From what she'd seen, it wasn't like Rukia had taken time to unpack either.

Rukia's chuckle ended abruptly at the riposte, and she locked eyes with Yoruichi in surprise.

The latter raised an eyebrow slightly and slid aside the curtain that blocked the way into the bathroom, making her way inside. Yes, she decided, this confidence she was seeing wasn't entirely natural. What was she to do?

Rukia took a moment to watch her go, and set her purse on a shelf before following after her.

The bathroom was done up in slabs of dark, gray-green granite that were shot through with warm, cream-colored veins. These were paired with a rich reddish-brown wood—perhaps a stained teak. The porcelain in the sinks and elsewhere was black, the fixtures were gold, and the entire space was lit with warm inset lighting that verged on orange. A brief look at the wall switches indicated one could change it to white if that was preferable.

As a whole, the room was arranged in a way more typical of the West Coast than the East Coast or Japan—it was a style that was ultimately around halfway between them.

The bathroom counter and its sinks were situated above a wooden floor, and clearly divided by both material and height from the bathing area, which was granite and obviously designed to accommodate flooding. Within that space was a rather large jacuzzi tub that could easily seat two. There was also a spacious rainfall shower that was enclosed by a glass door on one side and stone along the other three, and featured a large number of nozzles and jets set into the walls, apparently controlled from a panel on the outside. There were two doors leading off from the room, one inevitably to the toilet, and the other...

Yoruichi caught Rukia's perplexed look at the second door. "It's a sauna."

Rukia made an 'Oh' shape with her mouth, but didn't actually say anything.

There was a brief silence before Yoruichi subtly gestured at the other door. "If you need to go, you can go first?" It wasn't clear how long they'd be spending in the shower and bath, but it seemed like they were really doing this, so she might as well help move things along. It'd also give her a moment to think.

With only a nod, Rukia departed, shutting the door behind her.

Yoruichi blew out a breath and made her way over to the countertop, leaning against it and looking at herself in the mirror. She already found that she liked Rukia's company, but that further complicated things. This was actually kind of intense! Which was weird, because it was also strangely relaxing and easy!

It was only once she was removed from Rukia that this became apparent to her, like the weight of the situation changed. The odd thing was it didn't feel like a weight being lifted from her, but rather, like one being placed on her... She frowned and studied her own eyes. If she was going to do this properly, she resolved that she'd have to take things slow and at a pace that actually put Rukia at ease. After long seconds, she stood up straight and turned around.

She mentally repeated the mantra she'd first invoked in the common area and took a few slow, deep breaths to calm herself, at the same time shrugging off her jacket and starting to unbutton her pants.

When Rukia returned, she found Yoruichi without either, and promptly stopped and stared. She felt her heart thump like it had earlier. First, it became clear that the reason Yoruichi's turtleneck had fit so snug and smooth into her pants was because it was actually a bodysuit. Second, Yoruichi's legs were no less impressive than her arms, and were arguably more so. Her thighs, in particular... Third, there was the large, black, tribal sun tattoo on Yoruichi's outer left thigh that arrested her attention.

She had to force herself to look away from it and went to the sink, busying herself with washing her hands and very deliberately keeping her focus there rather than upon the mirror.

Yoruichi noticed, but didn't dally and took her turn, strutting into the toilet.

Rukia washed her hands for longer than she intended to as her mind roiled, but finally turned off the water and dried them absentmindedly, looking at herself in the mirror. She was flushed again. She frowned at herself. _What the hell!?_

Ever since she'd been brought into the Kuchiki family, she'd had a prestigious life. She'd seen plenty of stunning women. From confident and sporty girls to elegant and sexy ladies, from voluptuous beauties to walking goddesses, she'd seen damn near everything, in a vast array of settings and stages of intimacy. She'd found many of them pretty, sure, but none of them had ever made her feel like... _this_.

What was it about Yoruichi that was different? It was beyond dispute that she was an incredibly enviable combination of many different attractive traits. Truly, the more of her that Rukia saw, the more it felt like she witnessing was some sort of 'best of' compilation, but that alone wasn't enough! What was it that had her acting like a schoolgirl who'd just gotten noticed by her _senpai_?! Was it because of Yoruichi's obvious interest in her? Was it because she'd decided to make herself vulnerable?

She looked hard at herself in the mirror before glancing at the toilet door, and then at the shower. She wasn't certain about any of the rest of this, but she did suddenly have a strong desire to wash off. After clenching her fists once with resolve, she started to pull off her jacket.

Rukia had taken off her socks and skirt and was just pulling off her blouse when she heard the door open again. She froze for a second, but didn't turn around. Instead she continued to pull it off and set it aside, then started to unhook her bra.

For Yoruichi's part, while she washed her hands she didn't hesitate to appreciate the view from behind, albeit with some token subtlety. Rukia's underwear was cute, but also mature—her panties were bikini cut, low enough at the waist and high enough at the legs to see a bit of her rear, and her bra was possessed of rather thin straps all around. They were a matching set in a pretty sky blue and looked like they were made of silk, but weren't frilly and were rather utilitarian in design. Yoruichi's mind dwelled on what they hid as much as what they showed. _Wow._ There really wasn't much more to say than that.

Smiling automatically, she finished and slipped off her socks before she took hold of the shoulders of her bodysuit. She started to pull it over her head, not having bothered to redo the snaps at the crotch.

Rukia slid her bra down her arms and set it on the counter, then took a moment to draw in a long breath. She refused to be embarrassed over something like this. There was no point in trying to be demure! She turned to face Yoruichi, only to once more stop and stare as her heartbeat again reverberated through her like the toll of a bell.

Yoruichi was facing away from Rukia and had hooked her thumbs into the sides of the black cotton thong she was wearing, leaning forward to pull it off. She'd changed clothes completely for this expedition, and hadn't worn a bra under the bodysuit in an effort to heighten her appeal. She parted her lips to let out a silent sigh as she tugged her underwear down—she'd already discovered it wasn't soaked, but it was definitely wet, and she hadn't bothered trying to clean it out for the sake of celerity.

Rukia flared red. Yoruichi's presence had always been notable; when she entered a room it instantly felt like she was in control of it. That evening, that had been enhanced by the prominent display of her physique—that commanding presence had turned into something more predatory, invoking a feeling of something slinky prowling and skulking about, like some sort of jungle cat. Like a panther was circling her and it wasn't quite clear whether it was playful or hungry—or both. And did it matter? Because it could take her apart just as easily either way...

She had mustered her courage and rebelled against her better judgment, gone willingly right into the teeth of the night and entrusted herself to those gleaming citrine eyes and that feline grin.

But this was something different. Seeing this woman nude was a whole other ballgame. Rukia watched helplessly as Yoruichi pulled the garment down. Her breath hitched at the gleaming strand that went with it, glowing with the room's soft light, so plainly clear against that black background. Her muscles locked up around her heart, and those pangs in her stomach that she'd attributed to nerves somehow moved down somewhere lower in her belly.

She was suddenly very aware of how her thighs were rubbing together, and trying to draw them apart a little made her shudder. Her body ran hot and cold and the room suddenly seemed brighter and fuzzier somehow, like all the firm edges of things had blurred together. Half of her wanted to punch a wall because that stupidly smooth _soba_ line Yoruichi had pulled earlier kept echoing in her ears, and half of her wanted to reach out a hand to— _God, her butt is magnificent..._

While Rukia was distracted, Yoruichi dropped her thong around her ankles, flicked it upwards with a little kick, and caught it before tossing it with the rest of her clothes. She reached up and popped off her hair-tie before casually catching sight of Rukia out of the corner of one eye.

The woman's surprise was obvious from the set of her eyes and her blush. A natural, sly smile creased Yoruichi's lips. She still had her pride, after all, and that was an encouraging sign if ever she'd seen one. She turned to face Rukia fully, her hair spilling down her shoulders as she struck a subtle pose that emphasized her curves by putting them in relief. "See something you like?"

Rukia looked aside with sudden shyness, curling her fingers against the hem of her panties. She only slowly remembered she still had to take them off, and began haltingly doing so. "You're... really pretty," she said, only to start with surprise as she abruptly became aware that Yoruichi was right in front of her.

Yoruichi delicately grasped Rukia’s shoulders, helping her balance her so she could pull off her underwear more easily. "So are you," she countered. Her tone was earnest and her focus stayed on Rukia's face, taking in her features from up close again.

Without really thinking about it, Rukia's eyes found Yoruichi's, and she was instantly torn. Yoruichi's expression had shifted from saucy to gentle, and looking into her eyes... She both didn't want to look elsewhere, and wanted almost nothing more. She wanted to pull away, yet also wanted to push into that soft but certain grip on her shoulders. "Not... in that way," she said, finally forcing her gaze to one side and dropping her panties.

A moment passed as Yoruichi studied her, then let her gaze dip to properly take Rukia in. She was petite and svelte, but also still toned and curvy in her own way. The word for her was 'elegant', and she was radiant and superb. "Maybe not... but pretty all the same."

With more than a little reluctance, Rukia made eye contact again. Everything she'd felt before was worse this time—stronger.

Yoruichi tilted her head to one side a little and produced a beatific smile, brushing her hands down Rukia’s arms until they lightly encircled her wrists. Then she gently tugged forward while slowly skirting around Rukia to walk backwards toward the shower, giving a sincere but playful look. “I told you earlier that it'd been a long day, hmm? Let’s relax.”

Rukia searched her expression. Despite being light and loose, the woman’s grip was strong and sure.

In response, Yoruichi flashed a small but winsome grin. “Come on! I can at least wash your back!”

Rukia held still for only another half-second before starting to move forward with her.

It only took them a few moments to cross over into the bathing area, and Yoruichi stopped with Rukia at the controls for the shower, releasing her so that she could set the water temperature and output pattern. She picked a comfortably warm setting and a simple, regular use of some the side jets. A final button push made the water spray to life. Yoruichi returned her attention to Rukia and opened the shower door. “After you,” she said, and gestured with a hand.

Rukia took one last appraising look at Yoruichi before stepping into the shower. There was no way she'd be able to keep her hair dry, so after reaching out to test the water temperature, she gradually made her way into the torrent without further concern for it. She stopped under the middle of the simulated rainfall, closed her eyes at the warmth of the water, and tilted her head back, running her hands through her hair. Yes, this was what she'd wanted.

Yoruichi spent a few seconds watching Rukia before following her into the shower, shutting the door behind her. From there she advanced under the falling water, stopped right behind Rukia beneath the stream, and very carefully brought her hands to rest on Rukia’s sides.

The sensation made Rukia stand up a little straighter. Her cheeks went red as she felt Yoruichi's chest brush her shoulder blades as a result—the other woman's nipples were firm...

A smirk quirked a corner of Yoruichi’s mouth. As Rukia didn't pull away, she made a decision, and leaned forward just a little to increase how much they touched, lightly squishing her chest up against Rukia's back and bringing her chin over one of Rukia’s shoulders. _Ah, she's so warm..._ “See? Not so bad, is it?”

Rukia tensed somewhat at how hot Yoruichi's skin was against hers, but didn't make any effort to resist. The heat of the water paled in comparison, and if anything it was all she could do not press back into the sudden warmth. She instinctively turned her head toward the sound of Yoruichi's voice, and they were immediately cheek to cheek, looking sideways at each other. Rukia found herself staring again and this time, really touching Yoruichi, she knew she wouldn't be able to look away. _Why is this so captivating...?_

Yoruichi offered another gentle smile and closed her eyes, just standing with Rukia as the water poured and sprayed onto them.

Rukia’s eyelids drooped as she considered the other woman, and she soon did the same, crossing her arms under her chest. Gradually she relaxed again and leaned back, her butt coming to rest against Yoruichi's thighs. This new point of contact was still hotter than Yoruichi's chest or face, and she reddened again.

Yoruichi softly pressed her cheek to Rukia’s in reply and cast her voice just loud enough to be heard over the water. “Are you alright with this?”

“Yes.” Rukia’s reply was too quiet to be heard, but the nod that accompanied it conveyed her feelings all the same. Touching Yoruichi felt... so incredibly good? Yes, she wanted this too—she was beginning to think that maybe she wanted something beyond this, but this was more than alright.

“Okay.” Yoruichi couldn't be heard either that time, but nodded back.

They stayed together that way for quite some time until Rukia uncrossed her arms and brought her hands onto the back of Yoruichi’s. She hesitantly guided them so they traced onto her belly.

Yoruichi allowed it to happen and let Rukia set the pace until her hands passed each other above and below Rukia's belly button, then decisively finished the embrace by sliding her arms around Rukia's waist, hugging her.

Rukia tilted her head down so Yoruichi's lips were by her temple and silently leaned back against her, basking in the contact. Had touch always been so comforting? She couldn't recall being touched in a way that was simultaneously so soothing and innervating. Nothing sounded more appealing right then than to go on just being held.


	3. And You Have Proved To Be

Yoruichi stood with Rukia under the pouring water for quite some time, just enjoying the pleasant feeling of skin-to-skin contact—Rukia was soft, smooth, and surprisingly warm. It was clear to her that the poor thing was probably touch-deprived, given how she didn't seem to want to move. Accordingly, she indulged Rukia until the woman's muscles slackened in ease, and only then did she start to carefully shift. 

Rukia opened her eyes fractionally as she felt Yoruichi's stance change, but it seemed clear that she wasn't planning on going anywhere, so she stayed quiet.

Loosening her arms, Yoruichi drew backward fractionally and ducked her head so her lips were by Rukia's ear. "Would you like to turn around?" she asked, her tone communicating that it was both equal parts a genuine question and a suggestion.

Rukia hesitated, frozen by indecision for a second, but slid her hands down from where they rested on Yoruichi's forearms so she was wholly encircled within the woman's grasp. She then carefully rotated, stopping once they faced each other. Her cheeks went pink at the feeling of Yoruichi's breasts brushing against her the whole time, and her flush doubled as they pressed up against the tops of her own. Yoruichi was less than half a head taller than her, but at such a close range she still had to look up to see her properly.

Yoruichi cinched her arms back around Rukia and tipped her head forward, bunting her like a cat. She then made eye contact and smiled. "There. Isn't this better?"

Rukia peeked at her for a moment, then shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around Yoruichi's waist, pushing nearer. Seeing Yoruichi so up close only further emphasized how achingly pretty she was, and it was sort of hard to take for any length of time. It was definitely true that being able to hold onto her too was much better, though she couldn't immediately explain why.

In reply, Yoruichi started to idly rub the middle of Rukia's back, and got cheek to cheek with her again. "Shhh, it's okay. You're okay. We can stay like this if you'd like," she said.

Rukia just nodded faintly, sinking her fingers into Yoruichi's lower back just a little.

They'd been hugging for a short time when Yoruichi began to subtly sway, rocking Rukia in her arms as she started to hum.

Rather quickly, Rukia settled against her again, just getting used to the warmth and slow motion. Yoruichi seemed like the perfect mix of soft and firm. She fidgeted a little as she thought about running her hands over Yoruichi in the same way as was being done to her.

As some unknown time passed, Rukia felt a growing need to reestablish some sort of control over the situation. She liked this, but showers were for washing off, and baths were for soaking and relaxing. If she just clung to Yoruichi in the shower for as long as she wanted, wouldn't that be too shameless and selfish? She finally drew her head back and stood properly, although she didn't pull away. "We should wash up," she said, trying to instill a sense of propriety into her voice.

Yoruichi blinked her eyes open and stood up straight as well, holding Rukia's gaze. She could see her resolve, and smiled inwardly at the sight, then glanced to either side.

There were two wooden, Japanese-style bathing stools sitting outside the shower, and a wooden bench along the wall opposite the door that was beyond the sprays of water. They could use either to soap up.

She returned her attention to Rukia and gave a coy grin. "I'll wash you if you wash me?"

Rukia had a surprised expression for an instant but quickly regained control of her face and nodded.

After making a snap decision, Yoruichi gestured to the bench with a small flourish. All of the bathroom's complementary toiletries were on side-mounted shelves above it anyway, along with several small washcloths for scrubbing. It was simply more expedient to stay in the shower.

Taking the hint, Rukia made her way over to it, shivering faintly as she walked out from under the water. The air was objectively warm and humid, yet it felt cool and clammy in comparison. She was suddenly much more aware of the volume of the shower, and tilted her head over one shoulder until her hair was out of the way, looking for Yoruichi, only for her eyes to widen a touch.

Yoruichi was right behind her, and delicately placed her hands on Rukia's shoulders at the same time as the latter turned her head. "This will be easier if you stand, okay?"

Rukia nodded seriously and turned around to face her, glancing aside. There seemed to be little point in being shy at this stage, but this was still... new.

Yoruichi busied herself with sorting through the toiletries, picking out a facial scrub, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner, as well as two washcloths. After setting them all on the bench, she squeezed out some of the facial scrub onto the side of one of the washcloths. "Alright, close your eyes!"

For just a second, Rukia looked at Yoruichi, then assented, relaxing and doing just that.

Yoruichi took her time gently scrubbing Rukia's face, moving Rukia's hair this way and that with her free hand to keep it clear, then rinsed off her hands and began to lather up Rukia's hair with shampoo. While that set in, she flipped the washcloth over and gave it a good dose of body wash, starting to soap up Rukia's front. She explored with her eyes more than her hands, keeping her motions gentle and congenial rather than sensual.

It was as Yoruichi went lower that Rukia began to go pink. Her chest was sensitive, but Yoruichi was gentle enough that it was easy to ignore; once the washcloth began to run down her lower abdomen though...

Yoruichi crouched down, eye-level with Rukia's navel, touching one of her legs to draw it aside a little. A small grin curved her mouth; Rukia seemed to have rather fine and sparse body hair; she shaved under her arms, but had trimmed her pubic hair into something like a mohawk strip; it was cute and still looked rather natural. She ignored that area for the moment and focused on Rukia's hips and thighs, before going down her legs.

As she moved on, Rukia relaxed, and waited until Yoruichi reached her ankles before lifting her feet one at a time, then turned. She tensed again once Yoruichi's hands made it up to her butt, but was soon once more at ease.

She'd just started leaning into having her neck massaged when Yoruichi lightly encircled her arms below the elbows and helped her walk back under the water to rinse off.

Once Rukia had washed off to her satisfaction, she returned, laughing a little as Yoruichi immediately set about playfully working conditioner into her hair. It had some kind of mint component and made her scalp tingle.

While that was setting, Yoruichi washed off her hands and soaped them directly with the body wash, getting them under Rukia's arms.

Rukia giggled involuntarily and tried to draw her arms down to close off access to her armpits, but Yoruichi persisted.

"Oh," Yoruichi teased lyrically, "that ticklish?"

"I am not!" Rukia protested around a reflexive smile.

Yoruichi leaned her head over Rukia's shoulder. "Don't be so embarrassed; Byakuya- _bo_ is too, y'know!"

Rukia blinked in surprise and looked sideways at her in disbelief.

Yoruichi merely gave a feline grin in reply, before dropping her eyelids partway as she considered Rukia more seriously. "Do you trust me, Rukia?"

Rukia studied the other woman's eyes before nodding curtly. After all this, she did, even if she was still a bit sheepish about it.

After reaching back to wash off her hands, Yoruichi took Rukia's, drawing them up and forward to rest on the wall. She stroked the backs of them as she let go, and got another handful of body wash. 

Rukia went along with the movements, watching Yoruichi's hands intently. Her cheeks grew pink as Yoruichi spread her feet apart using her own, and she tensed a little as the woman pressed against her from behind. Her eyes widened as Yoruichi reached down, gently cupping the very bottom of her lower abdomen with one hand, and then between her legs with the other. A little gasp escaped her at the contact and she shut her eyes.

Yoruichi watched Rukia carefully as she cleaned her, once more keeping her touch as civil as possible, even if it couldn't be anything but intimate. She washed through Rukia's hair, all around and over her mound, and within the folds of her outer and inner labia. Her touch was deft and her fingers ghosted over the most sensitive places within, skimming around but not into Rukia's entrance.

Yoruichi bit her own lower lip with a canine as she worked. Rukia was streamlined, with small inner lips, but she could tell that Rukia was slightly puffy.

Rukia kept the noises she might've made in the back of her throat or swallowed them, her cheeks blushing as she let Yoruichi clean her. It felt... She blinked her eyes open when she abruptly realized the other woman's hands and body were no longer upon her, only to flush red as Yoruichi issued a single, mild instruction.

"Bend over, please."

Slowly, Rukia hung her head to hide her face, and brought her hands onto the bench, shifting her weight onto them as she did just that. She was able to look between her legs, and her cheeks burned as Yoruichi used her feet to spread hers more. A sound caught in the back of her throat as Yoruichi parted her buttocks with one hand and began to gingerly clean her.

Yoruichi smiled to herself at how adorable and pink Rukia was— _Oh my god, how is she so cute everywhere?_ —and took her time. She gently stroked her fingers over Rukia's perineum, before swirling them around and then over her delicate, radial creases. A grin curled the corners of her mouth as she saw Rukia shiver and felt her twitch there, but she stayed focused and just continued on until she was satisfied Rukia was clean. At last, she let go and gave Rukia's bottom a gentle pat, turning toward the water to wash off her hands twice for good measure.

Rukia pushed herself up quickly and turned, peering at Yoruichi with hot cheeks. The other woman was giving her a moment of privacy, and she forced herself to stay still and breathe. Yoruichi's touch hadn't been sexual, but... this feeling in her belly...

She frowned to wipe away whatever look was on her face, then made her expression as neutral as she could, striding past Yoruichi with a bit too much deliberate swagger and confidence to fully rinse off.

Yoruichi only watched her for a little while. Even through the falling water, she could see Rukia's lingering blush, and after looking her up and down a few times, she turned to rearrange the bottles for her, setting the used washcloth aside and getting the other one.

When Rukia returned, Yoruichi handed it and the bottle of facial scrub to her, and sat down on the bench so Rukia had an easier time washing her face and hair. It wasn't reasonable to make her reach up too much.

Rukia had an easy enough time washing Yoruichi's face, but became a little lost at first when having to work with so long a mane. Nonetheless, she soon adapted to it, carefully combing the shampoo through Yoruichi's long locks.

Yoruichi stood when she'd finished, adopting an easy pose and presenting herself plainly.

Rukia took up the washcloth and began to clean Yoruichi as she'd been cleaned, but soon ran into a complication—well, two, really. Handling Yoruichi's breasts was... distracting, to put it mildly. She'd seen bountiful chests before, but touching them was different. _They're so soft...? And they're just... perky like this?_ She knew that most women required support... Her shyness soon gave way to fascination.

Yoruichi smiled slyly and carefully peeked her eyes open. "Fun to play with, hmm? I don't mind."

Another blush washed over Rukia and she cast her gaze down, only to realize that made things more awkward. Finally, she met Yoruichi's gaze directly. "I've... never seen ones like yours."

Yoruichi waggled her eyebrows a little before closing her eyes and tipping her head back. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Rukia looked to one side and surrendered Yoruichi's chest, continuing on to wash the rest of her. She only returned her attention fully to the other woman's form when she too had to kneel down. _And she's smooth down here..._ Yoruichi had no body hair left on her at all. It was surprising to see up close for the first time.

Her eyes naturally drifted a little lower as Yoruichi parted her legs a bit to grant access to her thighs. She wound up staring. Without any hair to hide her, she could plainly see Yoruichi—her outer labia were puffy, and her inner labia poked out from them a bit, unlike her own. Like her nipples, her lower lips were darker than the rest of her skin, and as she looked closely... Rukia quietly swallowed and went pink again at the sight of the thin, glistening strand she saw coming from between them to one of Yoruichi's thighs. It was much like what she'd seen earlier when Yoruichi had stripped.

Yoruichi was reflecting on her high-g training and taking slow, deep breaths, rhythmically curling and releasing her fingers. As Rukia's hands stopped, she slowly opened her eyes a little, looking down. She bit her lower lip again involuntarily. Rukia's face was _right there_... Clenching her fists extra hard, she let them go, along with the breath she was holding in. The poor woman was just starting to really loosen up; it wasn't the time to belt out a quip. She just had to endure it.

Rukia was still something of a novice at such things, but she wasn't a fool. Feeling Yoruichi tense and then relax—seeing it, catching a whiff of that unmistakable scent—she averted her gaze from Yoruichi's womanhood. _She's really... this turned on by me?..._ Yoruichi was so different from her, but still so... pretty? She'd never seen another woman so closely before, and the sight continued to hold sway over her thoughts, along with that lingering odor. They'd been in their uniforms since morning, local time, so Yoruichi smelled musky, but it was strangely pleasant?

Shaking her head a little to try and clear it, Rukia homed in on the tattoo instead and pressed on with washing Yoruichi, deciding to try and start a conversation to break the tension and focus her thoughts. "If you don't mind my asking... What's the significance of this?"

"Eh?" Yoruichi's thoughts were a bit clouded and she was momentarily unsure what Rukia was talking about. "Oh, that. I mostly just thought it looked cool at the time, to be honest."

Rukia gave a curt chuckle in reply. "Please. This is pretty big... it must've hurt. You don't just get something like this on a whim." She'd only ever flirted with the idea of getting a tattoo as a dream of defiant rebellion—something to fantasize about and nothing more—but she knew several people who'd gotten them. Renji had been especially obsessed with them. For a moment she idly wondered if he'd ever gone through with trying to have his eyebrows tattooed. 

Yoruichi shifted her hips to one side, then blew out a breath and brushed some of her hair back over a shoulder. She could hardly be cagey. "I got it when I was in Virginia, a little more than a year after the war. Some... things... happened, during the war, and I... was drinking at the time. A lot. I kept it together when I had to, but one of the guys in my squadron started calling me 'Icarus'; said I was dangerous, 'flew too close to the sun'..."

Rukia listened quietly, only stopping her motions once she'd gotten to Yoruichi's ankles. Was this why Yoruichi didn't go out drinking with the crew? Was she abstaining, or was it that she'd developed a distaste for it? She pushed the questions aside—it wasn't really her place to ask.

After a brief pause, Yoruichi continued on, lifting one foot, then the other, and finally turning around of her own accord. "So one night, I'm pretty hammered, and I get this done. We had these beach volleyball teams on the base, did a bunch of tournaments during downtime... Anyway, next time I see this guy, it's on the court. He's just winding down his game. So he starts up again, loud enough that I can hear, because we're playing them next.

"Now, the court we play on has this canvased fence, so he can't see my legs, and I just play it cool, glare at him through my aviators. His team wins, the other guys rotate out, and him and his RIO are feeling cocky; they wanna play right away. So right as we enter and take our half of the court, I lift my left leg up and I call out 'Hey, bitch! I'm not flying too close to the sun; I _am_ the sun!' And we clean their clocks. Just really wipe the floor with them. When we finish high-fiving, I spin about, slap my ass, proclaim 'Orbit _this_ , motherfucker!' and saunter my way off the beach. He never said another word to me after that. After our next carrier rotation he got reassigned somewhere else."

Rukia was just finishing soaping Yoruichi's butt—having found it was no less distractingly bouncy than her chest, but listening to the story made that easier to ignore—when she burst into laughter at the twin punchlines of the story.

Yoruichi blinked her eyes open and looked down over a shoulder at the melodious sound. It was lovely to hear, but... "What?"

It took time for Rukia to rein it in. She looked up at the woman with a little smile. "You're absurd."

Yoruichi raised her brows a little. Rukia's tone was coy and her eyes twinkled playfully.

Rukia's smile widened until she practically beamed. "In a good way."

Yoruichi's expression became neutral, then thoughtful, before she looked straight ahead again.

Rukia stood, and began to move Yoruichi's hair so it rested against the front of her shoulders, scrubbing her back. "I'm glad to have seen it myself while being on your crew," she confessed.

She'd had time to take it in. Yoruichi had a certitude about her, a strut and confidence to her that underlay everything she did. It was infectious, and she'd seen what being in proximity to it did to the flight crew, and even the passengers. Whether it was dispensing routine information, or dealing with something like turbulence, Yoruichi's voice simply put people at ease, made them unwind, made them laugh. She was commanding, but reassuring.

That was, after all, a big part of why Rukia had gambled on this.

Yoruichi held her hair forward and looked over a shoulder at Rukia, studying her with a slowly growing smile.

Every so often Rukia's eyes would flicker upwards to meet hers, and a matching smile gradually curved her lips too. "What?" she finally demanded with a laugh, soaping Yoruichi's neck.

Yoruichi just closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders into Rukia's dainty but firm grasp, enjoying it, then turned and brushed past her closely, washing off under the water. She showed off a bit through the movement of her hands, running them over herself just a little sensually, rarely making hooded glances toward Rukia.

For her part, Rukia noticed, but seemed unsure what to do about t. She stood and watched, her eyes both a bit wide and undeviating. Watching the rivulets of water run down Yoruichi's strong, almost chiseled form was...

Yoruichi saw Rukia subconsciously biting her lip and stalked out of the water toward her, tracing a few of the fingers on one hand across her cheek as she passed by again. Standing where she'd been previously, she leaned forward to let Rukia at her hair, resting her hands on her thighs.

Rukia diligently ran the conditioner through Yoruichi's mane, once again marveling at how soft and thick it was. It was heavy too! Yoruichi's hair was surprisingly long when it wasn't tied up.

Yoruichi waited patiently until she was finished, letting her learn, then stood up to her full height and lifted her arms up, crossing her wrists behind the back of her neck.

Long seconds passed as Rukia just stared at her, glancing down occasionally. The move pushed Yoruichi's chest out invitingly. What was she...

The smile on Yoruichi's face turned into a feline grin. "Aren't you gonna soap under my arms?"

"Right," Rukia mumbled after a pause, nodding as she got some more body wash. Right, that was what she was supposed to do, not... just stare.

Yoruichi watched her just a little smugly as she worked, and finally dropped her arms back down. She raised her brows a bit as if to both acknowledge this and to challenge Rukia, flashed a little grin at her, and turned around. Languidly, she reached out to the wall, deliberately tipping herself forward with predatory grace, and shuffled her feet apart, spreading her legs and bending over to present herself to Rukia.

The other woman's cheeks went pink and she swallowed. Seeing Yoruichi like this... _God, she has a great butt..._ Rukia thought yet again. This was somehow even more intimate than when she'd been kneeling in front of her.

Gradually, Yoruichi lifted her head, glancing over a shoulder at Rukia, locating her at the corner of her vision and making eye contact. She slowly flexed her abs outwards, curving her back so as to push her rear up, really showing herself off. Her head was suddenly foggy again, but she forced herself to ignore it. "Take it slow if you want, just remember what I did," she quietly instructed.

Rukia gulped again, and quickly looked away, getting more soap. When she returned her attention to Yoruichi, her eyes darted over the woman's body, but she narrowed them and focused all the same. She slipped her left hand around one of Yoruichi's thighs to grasp her lower abdomen, and carefully lowered the right between her legs.

An involuntary tremble worked through Yoruichi as Rukia's fingertips hesitantly brushed her, like the ephemeral touch of a phantom. She tensed, swallowing the urge to push back into them, and forced herself to be still.

Rukia brought her fingers fully into contact, softly cupping Yoruichi as the other had done to her. Her blush traveled to the tips of her ears at the sensations she was feeling. Yoruichi was soft, and slightly squishy, and hot, and _ sticky_, and... She forced herself to focus on her breathing and the motions, her eyes instinctively finding the other woman's.

Yoruichi's eyes were heavily hooded and hazy, but stayed with Rukia's. She took slow, deep breaths as Rukia caressed along and within her lips, clenching her pelvic muscles to keep her hips from moving of their own accord. This was so much worse than anything before... She just wanted Rukia to go on touching her, in ways far less refined and elegant.

Rukia looked down between Yoruichi's legs. Yoruichi was getting wetter, and Rukia could feel her faintly throbbing.

"Sorry..." Yoruichi breathed.

Rukia found Yoruichi's eyes again and shook her head faintly, finishing up and drawing her left hand back around Yoruichi's hip. What was there to apologize for?

Had she ever been as aroused as Yoruichi was right now—for her? Had anything ever turned her on this much? She felt her chest squeeze around her heart in reply. The answer was an obvious no. Was that why this was so... was that why this felt... sacred? Or was it because Yoruichi was this way in response to her...?

Rukia drew her legs together involuntarily, suddenly aware of the heat between them. Seeing this arrogantly proud, boisterously fierce woman vulnerable like this, defenseless under her touch... The shiver that worked through her then! She gradually shrugged it off and used her right hand to gingerly part Yoruichi's buttocks.

Yoruichi shifted her weight onto her right arm and reached back with her left, helping spread herself.

Rukia's eyelids drooped and she carefully washed Yoruichi's perineum, watching her steady, metronome-like pulsing. _It's such a beautiful dark brown?_ As Yoruichi reacted to her touch, puckering and relaxing, Rukia could just see the soft pink at her very center. She stared in fascination for a time before sliding her fingers up, carefully stroking around it, only very gradually starting to clean just as Yoruichi had.

Shuddering, Yoruichi dropped her right forearm onto the bench and sank down toward it, biting it to muffle herself as her chest pressed up against the wooden slats. The sensation of them against her nipples made things more intense still, but she stayed quiet, occasionally shivering.

Rukia knew exactly what this felt like given earlier and kept her touch light, but even so, being able to see and feel Yoruichi react to her was quite something. This must surely be even more stimulating, already being aroused. After a short time she stopped and withdrew her hands from Yoruichi, letting her right brush the back of Yoruichi's left.

By the time Yoruichi managed to compose herself and got back onto her feet, Rukia was already facing the other way, her shoulders hunched a little as she washed her hands under the shower.

As she passed the other woman, Yoruichi allowed the fingers of her right hand to trace over Rukia's butt, but didn't stop or look her way. She advanced under the rainfall and washed off expediently.

She was almost done when she blinked her eyes open in surprise, realizing that Rukia had pressed up against her from behind and hugged her waist. Yoruichi looked over her shoulder and closed her eyes again, reaching behind her to touch Rukia's lower back. Carefully, she turned around, once more holding Rukia to her.

They were quiet for a time before Rukia made herself heard. "Let's bathe, please?" Having touched and been touched everywhere, her mind was at once both racing and all too still, and just soaking in the tub sounded very appealing.

Yoruichi merely nodded, and started to walk backwards with her toward the shower door, soon turning to open it outwards.

As Rukia followed her out, she noticed Yoruichi tapping at the shower controls, and glanced over at the tub. To her confusion, she found it was already full, steam wafting from its surface. She started as Yoruichi's face suddenly popped into her field of view from one side.

"Hehe, you look surprised! It automatically fills while you're in the shower, and periodically tops itself off with hot water if the temperature falls too much." Appearing quite pleased with herself, Yoruichi quickly made her way over to it and wasted no time getting in, only to hold in a yelp once she'd gotten in up to her thighs.

Rukia followed after her in a more lackadaisical way, suppressing a shiver from the difference in air temperature, and watched Yoruichi getting situated with some amusement. The other woman was lowering herself in slowly by then, pausing often. "Hot?"

Turning her head, Yoruichi grinned at her. "Yes, I am. Thank you for noticing." While Rukia rolled her eyes, she steadily sat down the rest of the way and let out a happy sigh, looking up across the other woman's height. _What a view..._ "Well?" she teased, stretching out her arms in invitation.

Although she tried not to, Rukia smiled a little, and gracefully lifted one leg and then the other into the tub. She then carefully squatted, slowing as she sank further into the water. It really was quite hot! The tub began to overflow as she came to rest, but it was designed to, and she was soon sitting next to Yoruichi. Letting go at last, Rukia slumped back against the edge of the tub, issuing her own pleased sigh. Showers really had nothing on baths when it came to being relaxing.

They sat together quietly for a time, until Rukia blinked as she felt Yoruichi's left hand encircling her right wrist. She turned her head curiously.

Yoruichi flashed a genuine smile and gave a gentle tug. "May I?"

Rukia found she wasn't quite sure what was meant by that, but nodded anyway.

In response, Yoruichi pulled some more, and leaned over to take Rukia's other wrist too. "Come on then. Onto my lap." With a little bit of doing, she gradually helped maneuver Rukia onto her lap without sloshing out too much more water.

Rukia sat down on Yoruichi's thighs right after Yoruichi had shifted her lower body away from the edge of the tub. After a moment of indecision, she slipped her legs around Yoruichi's hips, and followed up by loosely draping her arms around the woman's shoulders.

Yoruichi smiled to herself and tipped her head back against the edge of the tub, bringing her hands up to gently rub Rukia's back. "Is this what you wanted?"

Rukia mildly shivered at the phantasmal sensation, despite the heat of the water and the other woman's body. She nodded without thinking, her mind elsewhere. Even submerged in the hot water, Yoruichi's skin was still wonderfully warm to the touch. She leaned into the warmth and softness, and her face naturally came to rest in the crook of Yoruichi’s neck, just above the waterline.

They simply stayed together in comfortable silence for a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this setting, Ichigo is 182cm / 5'11.5", Rukia is 149cm / 4'10.5", and Yoruichi is 156cm / 5'1.5". Ichigo and Rukia are somewhat taller than their canonical heights (181cm / 5'11.25" and 144cm / 4'8.5") because they've basically finished growing as adults. Yoruichi is at her canonical manga height. (Strangely, in the anime, she's something more like 170cm / 5'7", and Kūkaku is also something like 5'10" or 5'11" instead of her canonical 168cm / 5'6". Pierrot like ladies tall.)
> 
> Technically, Yoruichi would be below the actual minimum for piloting USN aircraft (5'2") but I figure that can be handwaved given everything else that's different about this setting.


	4. I'm Not Easy To Please

Ichigo sat down heavily on the end of his bed, landing like a cargo pallet of bricks. A dreary sigh escaped him. "I've already told you three times: I don't know how long I'm going to be stuck here!"

"Ah, but that's really no good, we need you to start working on the Borneo report..." Kiyone Kotetsu continued musing aloud.

"Haven't you looked at The Weather Channel? Why'd we even turn it on? What's he going to do, dogsled out of there!?" Sentarō Kotsubaki suddenly said.

It became clear to Ichigo that he'd been placed on speakerphone. In addition to Sentarō, a TV could also be heard in the background, although its chatter was mumbled and indistinct.

"I'm just saying we need this done!" Kiyone replied.

"You'd have him going over the mountain ranges like Gandalf, until everything went to hell and he was protesting 'Kiyone, we must turn back!' You'd bellow 'No!' and—"

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he heard the impact of something heavy being thrown.  _These two... really need to get a room..._

"Shut up, nerd! If you keep talking,  _you'll_  be the one who doesn't pass—the next time you go to the bathroom!"

Sentarō's fuming was almost audible. "You—"

"I'll work on the Borneo report while I'm here," Ichigo sharply interjected. "I'll work on it here," he repeated into the sudden silence. "Just put the files up on our cloud. I'll start tomorrow."

There was a moment of quiet.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Isn't, uh, Hanatarō free?" He struggled to recall Hanatarō Yamada's name, although they had both joined Prism at around the same time. The man was just so... forgettable? "Why can't he handle Lisbon?"

Out of nowhere, he suddenly had the sense that Kiyone and Sentarō were considering each other in the office.

"Uh, Hanatarō has never—" Sentarō began.

"It's fine, it's fine," Kiyone said. "We'll do that then! Get some rest, we'll have the files up for you in the morning. Goodnight!"

When he heard the line click, Ichigo dropped his cell phone onto the bed with evident dismay and flopped backwards. He stared up at the ceiling.  _What a pain in the ass this has turned into..._  He sighed and shut his eyes again.

He'd called into the office as soon as his flight had landed to update them on his situation, then dropped off his bags and gone to get a drink. That was when he'd spotted Rukia and quickly decided to change venues. After his fourth cocktail he'd found his nerve and returned, but she was already gone.

Having returned to his room, Ichigo had called the office again to arrange to cover for his absence, and found Kiyone and Sentarō staying late—as usual. Prism's senior partners were Jūshirō Ukitake, Retsu Unohana, and Shunsui Kyōraku; both Ichigo and the other two mostly worked for the first of them. Due to Jūshirō's recurring bouts of illness, it wasn't unusual for those two to be at the office at odd hours. Hanatarō mostly worked for Retsu, but staff were staff and they weren't really firmly allocated to any one partner, especially when something unforeseen like this came up.

With business sorted, he was free to think about his personal failures instead of his professional problems. In his estimation, it was better to knock out work as hard and fast as possible rather than taking it slow; even if he wanted to try and gather his courage to approach Rukia again, he was probably going to be mired in dealing with Borneo for most of the trip. If he'd just been more decisive...

Something about the situation with her—no, that wasn't right, he had no  _situation with her_ , because that was a step beyond where he was—something about  _his fixation upon her_  drove him crazy, but it also made him freeze up. After leaving their hotel's observation lounge for the second time, he'd briefly entertained the notion of going down to reception and asking if they had a record of her, but that was just... way too creepy. He wasn't and never wanted to be  _that_  guy, and already felt he'd probably gone too far. Whatever might happen between them, if anything, he wanted it to be normal. He just had to...

Ichigo ran a hand over his mouth and pushed himself up. Glancing around, he found the TV remote on the bed, and turned it on.

The screen glowed to life, already tuned to The Weather Channel as well. There was a map of North America visible, with the same fifteen seconds of sped-up weather overlay replaying itself again and again. Their whole area was covered in a blotch of ominously dark teal, which only lightened to cyan at the very edges.

He frowned and changed the channel.

"—and last but not least, those up in the central Interior Plains are likely to see a record-breaking amount of snowfall over the next week. Government authorities have already issued travel advisories and we have reports that ground traffic is likely to become impossible within the next 24 hours. If you're up there, stay warm and stay safe! Back over to you, Sōsuke! Bye-bye!"

"Truly, a most frightful storm. Thank you, Gin. In breaking news tonight—"

Ichigo let out a disgusted grunt and turned off the TV. Standing, he headed to the bathroom as he decided to shower instead.

* * *

The bathwater had cooled to being merely quite warm when Yoruichi finally, quietly prompted, "So why'd you say 'Yes' to coming with me?"

Rukia blinked her eyes open with mild surprise, and it took her awhile to even formulate a reply. "What?"

"You heard me." Despite Yoruichi's choice of words, there was nothing impatient about her tone of voice.

At first, Rukia glanced down and didn't say anything.

Yoruichi waited, continuing to stroke her hands along Rukia's bare back. Eventually she smiled. "Hey, I know you think I'm hot, but you can still tell me as much directly instead of leaving it to me to put the words in your mouth," she mildly teased.

Rukia turned pink and pressed her face against Yoruichi's neck to hide it through proximity. Was she that transparent?

A soft laugh passed Yoruichi's lips. "You don't have to say anything." She knew well enough that this was new and likely confusing. She'd been able to tell from all the looks that Rukia had been giving her since the start of the evening that that the woman's initial protest of being straight had been a case of merely being true to the best of her knowledge. Still, she would only push so far at this point, as it had also become clear to her that Rukia preferred having some kind of emotional and physical connection more than anything.

Marshalling her thoughts, Rukia cinched her arms around Yoruichi's neck and shoulders a bit. Even if she didn't have to say anything, she still felt compelled to. Yoruichi was right that it shouldn't be entirely on her to interpolate what she was thinking. "I didn't know that I'd like it then, and I still don't know that I'd like... anything more than this. But I..." she began seriously.

Yoruichi peeked down at Rukia's crown of hair as she spoke.

"I believed that you believed it," Rukia finally whispered.

A beat passed before Yoruichi's eyelids drooped in consideration. Even though Rukia was openly verbally admitting that she liked this, she'd been doing more or less the same as they had gone along anyway. The confession that Rukia had decided to try this because she trusted and believed in her, though, that was new. Yoruichi briefly reflected on the little nod Rukia had given her earlier, before they'd started to wash up, when she'd asked Rukia if she trusted her.

That trust... Her gaze shifted across Rukia's dark hair as she considered it. Having that degree of trust placed in her by a refined and elegant woman like this, seeing her make herself vulnerable in the name of it... It felt very precious and fragile. Yoruichi didn't want to betray it in any way, and pondered what to do. She soon decided that the only thing she actually could do was to be true to both herself and Rukia.

After several long seconds, she carefully embraced Rukia with her left arm, and traced her right hand up into Rukia's hair, gently twining her fingers into it and bracing her spine with her forearm. Once she was certain of her grip, she delicately pulled back, more to indicate a motion than to force it.

Rukia cooperated, albeit hesitantly, looking up at Yoruichi.

Having gained her collaboration, Yoruichi tipped her head forward.

The two of them were instantly eye to eye, their noses almost touching.

Yoruichi gave a small smile as she studied Rukia's expression. Why was this lady so damn alluring? "You should be more confident in yourself..." she lectured mildly, and watched Rukia blink as she tilted her head so their noses were side by side.

At last, Yoruichi shut her eyes and whispered "Because you're lovely, fierce, and brave," against Rukia's lips. It took only the smallest motion to lightly press her own up to them.

A long moment passed. Rukia's eyes were wide, and she was sure she would tense up. They'd been sitting together for so long that she'd honestly lost track of where exactly she ended and Yoruichi began. In that moment, she thought that surely, she'd suddenly remember; surely, she'd pull away and the difference between them would become clear again; surely... and yet, she didn't. There was only the continued warmth and comfort of their skin touching. Her expression relaxed after some unknown time, and she closed her eyes, holding the smooch.  _This is..._

Yoruichi kept things soft and tender, gingerly running her fingers through Rukia's hair.

Rukia eventually moved, and slowly drew a hand backward onto one of Yoruichi's shoulders, while she gradually brought the other up through Yoruichi's hair to cradle the back of her head. With more than a little caution, she mildly tested how soft Yoruichi's lips were, kissing her properly.

Tilting her head more to one side, Yoruichi drew her left arm snug around Rukia's waist, pulling the other woman flush against her as she reciprocated the kiss and held it.

As the kiss went on, Rukia curled her fingers against the places where she was holding Yoruichi, just melting into the sensation of Yoruichi's body against hers.

When Yoruichi finally ended the kiss, Rukia blinked her eyes halfway open, in a bit of a daze. Her whole body felt hot, and as she shifted slightly she was able to take in the feeling of Yoruichi's form against hers anew. Amidst the relatively soft comfort of Yoruichi's thighs and chest, the firm, washboard-like sensation of Yoruichi's abs rubbing across her belly drew Rukia's particular attention, and her back seemed to flex of its own accord to push her up against them.

Yoruichi peeked at Rukia's dreamy expression and smiled. She used her hand to press Rukia's head forward so they lightly bunted each other, just breathing with her.

Rukia rested her forehead against Yoruichi's, panting just a little. She felt oddly short of breath and everything seemed to be spinning just a bit, like she felt faint. She lightly clutched at Yoruichi's shoulder and the back of her neck, vaguely and mildly afraid she might fall off the woman's lap. As soon as the thought crystallized, she became aware of how ridiculous the idea was.  _What... is this?..._

Just as Rukia shook her head a little to try and clear it, Yoruichi pecked her cheek and adjusted how she was sitting in the tub, moving so they were cheek to cheek.

In reply, Rukia pressed the side of her face to Yoruichi's, feeling her own cheeks warm. Even as she caught her breath, her heart was still pounding, and the panging sensations around her heart and below her belly were fogging her head. She tried to draw her legs together, only to both find and recall she couldn't with how they were wrapped around Yoruichi's waist.

Yoruichi cradled Rukia to her and combed through her hair while nuzzling her.

She paid special attention to Rukia's heart rate, waiting until she felt it subside before saying anything else. "You asked me earlier if I do this sort of thing often," she eventually said, more whispering in Rukia's ear than speaking at a normal volume.

Rukia blinked and looked sideways toward Yoruichi's hair.

"Do you really want to know about my history in that way?"

After glancing downward, Rukia's eyes cleared a little. She faintly shook her head. "If I ask, will you answer? It's your business. I have no right to know. Whatever you've done, whoever you've done it with, none of it dirties you... but I have no way of asking about it without doing so. So I'll wait. If you think I should know, if you want to talk, when you think it's okay to talk... talk to me."

Yoruichi blinked too, and smiled a little. "How mature." She clicked her tongue against her teeth and added, "But you are curious," dragging out the last word with a lilt.

Rukia frowned faintly, but said nothing in response. She couldn't honestly deny that.

"It's not like I keep count or anything," Yoruichi said with a small chuckle. "If I meet somebody I find interesting, I go for them. Sometimes it's just for one night, sometimes it's a recurring thing for a while. Sometimes it's more like this, and sometimes it's... a lot more heated. Sometimes there's an emotional connection, and sometimes it's purely physical. My only hard and fast rules are that the other person has to want it, that I want to have fun, and that I want to make sure they do too."

As she listened, Rukia leaned her head against Yoruichi's. Questions popped up in her mind, but she kept them to herself.

"You're probably wondering if there's anyone special," Yoruichi continued. She stopped to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say. "There kind of is, but... Hmm, it's an on-again, off-again thing. We both care about each other, but not always in that way, if that makes sense? I love him, but I'm not always  _in_  love  _with_  him. He has his obsessions, and I have my wanderlust, so sometimes we dance, and sometimes we don't even see each other for months."

Rukia blinked again at the sudden revelation. It wasn't an identical story, but it was close enough to hit home.

Having said her piece, Yoruichi fell silent, just holding Rukia. She wasn't of the same persuasion as Rukia on the matter of questions. That said, although she had plenty of her own, she felt she should be at least a little circumspect in asking them given the rules that Rukia was playing with.

A fair amount of time passed before Rukia piped up of her own accord, quietly saying, "I've... only ever been with one man. It was for a kind of short time at university. The way you just phrased it... I loved him, and I love him still, but I wasn't in love with him. We had sex a few times, but... Eventually we just kind of drifted apart."

This was rather worse than Yoruichi had estimated, and something in Rukia's tone gave her pause. Her gaze drifted toward the side of Rukia's head. "You did it willingly, right?"

"Yes." Rukia might look back upon her time with Renji rather ambivalently, but he'd never forced her or guilt-tripped her into doing anything.

Yoruichi pursed her lips as she thought things through. "... It wasn't fun?"

"It..." Rukia trailed off. This had really been the most that she'd thought about it since then. "It wasn't awful or anything."

Yoruichi slowly exhaled in relief and cradled the back of Rukia's head. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Rukia shrugged a little. "It's not like it's your fault. He tried, in his own way. I always thought sex was just kind of overrated, or that maybe the problem was with me. Thinking back on it, I guess I just never found him very exciting." Her thoughts shifted to what she'd seen of Yoruichi's arousal earlier—and how she herself felt in that moment, leaning against her. She'd never felt like that, or like  _this_.

There was a long quiet between them, during which Yoruichi idly studied the ceiling. "There's nobody that's interested you?" No judgment stained her words; it was just that such a thing seemed hard to believe, given the circles that Rukia surely still ran in. She could infer that Byakuya was making her work her way up from the bottom without any assistance, but didn't imagine that anything was denied to her in terms of comfort or socialization—that simply wasn't the kind of man he was.

Rukia briefly had an impression of a flame of orange hair. Still, even when it came to that guy, she wouldn't say that she was interested  _in_  him, but rather just that he was  _interesting_. A big part of that was how strange it was that they kept running into one another, and the fact that he didn't seem to be an asshole. He clearly recognized her, and she'd noticed him looking at her more than a few times, but he'd never sought her attention. That automatically made her like him more than most men, and there was something strange and intriguing about him. He almost reminded her of... Still, the distinction remained. "No, not really."

"That's the second very unique compliment you've given me tonight," Yoruichi hummed. At the same time, it was accompanied by a thought:  _No pressure or anything..._

With a glance aside, Rukia narrowed her eyes a little. "Um..."

"Go on," Yoruichi said with a little smile.

"What... is this to you?" Rukia asked quietly.

As she heard the words, Yoruichi's face became sincere, and her gaze drifted back down. "Well. I... don't think of what I do as sexual conquest; I'm not out to claim anybody, I just want to have fun. But I know that's a two way street, and things aren't always that simple for others. I can tell they're not that simple for  _you_. I can't say what this is, or what it might become, but I already know I do like you quite a bit. I know I'd like to make you feel good, and feel good with you, but that doesn't have to be sex. Even if I want you that way, just this... even just this feels good."

Rukia's gaze wavered back and forth across the waterline as though she was studying the ripples, but really, her thoughts were elsewhere.

"I hope to be friends after this, at least," Yoruichi added. She tilted her head a little to one side and adopted a hushed tone, "One really shouldn't kiss and tell, but... you know Rangiku?"

_No way..._  Rukia blinked, coming back to the moment.

"It was a while ago now, but we fooled around once the last time she was on my crew. Sometimes things just happen. And you can still be friends afterwards—or maybe something more than just that, in a way—regardless of whether or not things ever happen again. So if you ask me what this is to me... really, it's about making an intimate memory with someone. Making something you can cherish both in the moment, and in the future," Yoruichi concluded.

After thinking about that some, Rukia sat up fully, but kept her arms encircled around Yoruichi's shoulders.

Quietly drawing in a breath, Yoruichi once more drew her head back so she could see Rukia, considering her while they were nose to nose again.

Rukia observed Yoruichi in just the same way as she herself was being studied.

Eventually, Yoruichi tapped the tip of her nose up against Rukia's, and rubbed it in a small circle around hers, the set of her eyes changing as she regarded the other woman in a more inviting way.

Rukia's focus drifted between Yoruichi's eyes.  _'Making an intimate memory with someone', huh..._  Her own eyes closed as she finally leaned in for another kiss. She made this one a little more exploratory, wanting to confirm her earlier feelings and impressions.

Although Yoruichi let her set the tone and pace of the kiss, she wasn't passive. Locking lips with Rukia, she slid her left arm back around Rukia's waist and traced her hand down her spine, pressing the tips of her central two fingers to the flat spot where her backbone met her sacrum, right above the cleft of her buttocks.

A shudder swept through Rukia at being touched there, and she subtly pressed up against Yoruichi, increasing the pressure of the kiss.

In turn, Yoruichi pressed her left hand flat against Rukia's lower back, and used her grasp on Rukia's hair with the right to gently temper her assertiveness, keeping the kiss passionate but controlled. The last thing she wanted was for Rukia to get too aggressive, feel like she'd overextended, and get scared in the process.

Rukia was crafty though, and tipped Yoruichi's head forward instead, finally letting the tip of her tongue peek out from between her lips to give Yoruichi's the smallest lick. Suddenly having these kinds of feelings... it felt like a spark had been kindled within her, and was slowly being nurtured into a flame! She wanted to explore how she felt, and she knew that Yoruichi had been being patient with her. If she offered herself up like bait, what would—

A gasp escaped her as Yoruichi nipped her tongue, and her eyes snapped open.

Yoruichi ended the kiss and pulled her head back a little, considering Rukia closely as she flashed a lazy grin.

Rukia blinked several times, her cheeks pink. She was also suddenly very aware of the fact that she was sweating—they'd both been perspiring to start with, given how hot the bathwater had been, but that'd stopped rather quickly. Why was suddenly covered in a sheen of sweat again?

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" Yoruichi inquired around a smile. She could both watch and feel as Rukia grew increasingly less shy and more aroused—she kept fidgeting, her nipples were firm, she was starting to want to explore and play... maybe she wasn't exactly horny yet, but she was definitely pushing her boundaries.

Fairly quickly, Rukia's expression went from surprised to a bit sour. "That's cheating!"

Yoruichi feigned innocence. "Is it?"

Rukia furrowed her brows and started to lean forward again. She really wanted to find out—

Her eyes widened again as she felt Yoruichi's fingers tighten in her hair, and she made immediate and direct eye contact.  _Why are you stopping me...?_

"Now, now," Yoruichi tutted her, "the bath's for cleaning up!" She allowed her face to take on a sultry look with hooded eyes before adding a husky tease, "Not for making a mess."

Rukia went a bit red and promptly pulled back a little at the insinuation.

All Yoruichi did was raise an eyebrow in reply, before arching her back and stretching, using the motions to create a bit more space between them with her chest. Only then did she refocus on Rukia, giving a pleasant smile. "Let's just briskly wash off with some cool water, and then get dry, okay?"

Looking over Yoruichi's expression, Rukia eventually nodded, some of her blush dispersing.

Meanwhile, Yoruichi's face stayed rather coy looking. She released Rukia and gestured upward with her right hand, palm toward the ceiling. "After you!"

Rukia's eyebrows drew together at the realization that the other woman was plainly intending to cop a look at her again, but there was no other way of getting out of the tub. Channeling all her dignity and bearing into her motions, she began to untangle her legs from around Yoruichi's waist so she she could get up.

* * *

Ichigo crashed back into bed, crabbily grabbing for his phone once he'd come to rest.

Having had time to think about it while he was in the shower, he'd decided to call home. He had no great obligation to tell his family what was going on, but he was pretty sure that they'd hear the news eventually, and he didn't want his sisters worrying about him.

He placed a call and waited.

It connected on the fourth ring. "Late as ever, Ichi- _nii_. Your plane landed two hours ago."

"Three, actually. I'm in Calgary."

There was a pause that radiated confusion from Karin Kurosaki's end of the line. "What are you doing there?" The fact that he'd taken even longer to call than she'd thought appeared to be forgotten for the moment.

"You haven't heard about the weather? We got diverted in here because of it; it was probably cheaper to strand us here than to bother going around it. There's a massive snowstorm bearing down on us. I don't know how long I'm going to be here," Ichigo explained, staring through the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" Karin always tried to sound unimpressed, but he could hear the worry underlying her voice.

"I've got a hotel room. It's not like anybody will be sleeping in the terminal. I just wanted to let you know what's going on. Tell Yuzu and Dad, okay?"

"Uh, wait—" Karin began.

Ichigo frowned. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with any theatrics at the moment from either of those two. "Hey. I'm okay. Promise. But I'll still have to get up early tomorrow to do work. So just tell them. I'll come see you guys when I get back. So be good, alright?"

"Hey—" Karin tried to interrupt him again.

Ichigo ended the call anyway.

He'd barely had time to inspect his notifications when a text came in from Karin, reading: 'I'm 19, you ass! Don't treat me like a kid!'

He smirked ruefully. How did she type so fast? If he could type that fast, maybe Borneo wouldn't take so long to deal with. He swiped out a reply of his own: 'Sorry. Know I can depend on you. Love you.'

His alarm was already set, so Ichigo put his phone on the dresser without waiting for any reply of hers—not that he expected one, really, as any hint of mushy familial love tended to get her to instantly shut up—and turned off the lamp on the bedside.

Although he lay in darkness for a time, he soon pulled down the covers and made his way under them. Even though he'd turned the heater on, it really was still too chill to just be sleeping in boxers and a t-shirt atop the comforter.

* * *

Rukia was still getting her hair up in a towel when Yoruichi finished doing the same and went over to the pile of clothes she'd made earlier.

Watching Yoruichi's movements and figure as much as what she was doing, Rukia slowed down her own motions.

Yoruichi quickly gathered up her discarded leather pants and fished something out of one of their pockets.

As she withdrew the item, Rukia could see that it was really two metal tags, each encircled with black rubber and connected on a long ball chain. She wasn't incredibly familiar with such things, but knew what they were through cultural osmosis, at least.

Without any pomp or circumstance, Yoruichi maneuvered the chain around the towel on her head and got it situated around her neck, poking the dog tags down into the towel around her torso, between her breasts. She frowned a little at how cool the metal was, but ignored it and brushed the matter aside—it'd heat up soon enough.

"You still wear your identification tags?" Rukia finally asked. Her tone of voice made it clear she was genuinely curious rather than making any kind of judgment.

Yoruichi blinked and looked up at Rukia before smiling a bit sheepishly. "Ah, yeah. It's silly, but I kinda think of them as like a good luck charm." She didn't always wear them, but she always kept them on her—she'd had them in her pocket because they'd have stood out, given how tightly the bodysuit fit.

Just for a moment, Rukia wondered if there was any connection between that notion and what Yoruichi had said earlier about things happening during the war, but she once again quickly stowed the question. Even if they were fast becoming friends—or something more—there was a time and a place for that kind of question, and this wasn't it. She settled for nodding, finishing up with getting the towel around her hair.

For her part, Yoruichi didn't seem to think much of the question, and after stretching, she sauntered over to the the curtain that divided the bathroom from the master bedroom's hallway and walk-in closet. "Want to dry off by the fire?"

Rukia smiled and nodded. She'd been able to tell earlier that the fireplace was rather nice and cozy, and given the option, why not use it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't get the name order wrong: Kyōraku is actually Japanese.


End file.
